Missouri Executive Order 44

Missouri Executive Order 44 from Kansas City, MO

Based in Kansas City, Missouri Executive Order 44 takes its name from a dark chapter of its state's history: in 1838, amidst tensions between Missouri residents and a burgeoning new Mormon population, Governor Lilburn Boggs issued an order stating, "The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state if necessary for the public peace."

Clad in the bike helmets and white shirts that commonly signify LDS evangelists, the four members of MEO44 – vocalist Jarom Johnson, guitarist Elos Olsen, bassist Esau Fullmer, and drummer Malachi Hatch – use that specific historical moment as their rallying cry as they blast out blistering hardcore anthems in opposition to all forms of persecution. While a majority of bands in the scene take a stance against organized religion, the band flips the script and claims allegiance with the Saints of the 1830s, holding them up as victims of the state's tyranny.

Olsen states: "The struggle against fascist violent oppression of 'undesirables' is universal. We use a very fucked-up moment of hyper localized American history to relay that message for the fight against oppression. It’s a purely antiauthoritarian band. Don’t let anyone tell you who to love or who to worship."

Johnson concurs: “Missouri Executive Order 44 is a reminder that we, as decent human beings, need to stand together in communities and collectives to overthrow tyrannical authority and prevent the impending destruction of our autonomy by the bigoted forces of the state, police, and fascists. The story of our Mormon ascendants is cautionary but also too familiar to the experiences of our brothers and sisters. The state can and will oppress those it deems 'other' or 'less than' and our message is one of retribution, anti-colonialism, anti-state and pro-humanity."